Improvement in stem winding and setting watches



H. B. L. JONES.

Stem-Winding and Setting Watches. N0.l49,757, PatentedApril14,1874.

lNVENTOR M '06. ona/ 49 AM. octzzwow UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY It. L. JONES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEM WINDING AND SETTING WATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,757, dated April14, 1874; application filed January 27, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY R. L. JONES, a resident of the city and countyof St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Stem -VVinding atches, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawingmaking a part of this specification, and to the letters of referencethereon marked, in which- Figure l is a face view, showing position ofspring-lever and clutch and lock-sprin g when the winding mechanism isin gear. Fig. 2 is another face view, showing position of lever, clutch,lock-spring, and how when the handsetting mechanism is in gear. Fi 3 isan edge view, showing position of the how when turned down against thelook-spring.

Like letters of like kind indicate like parts.

The present invention relates to improvements in that class ofstein-winding watches whose winding mechanism and hand-setting mechanismare, respectively, thrown into and out of gear with the stem by means ofa clutch, which, by being slipped in and out on the arbor extending fromthe stem through the pendant, and to which the stem is fitted, respectively connects and disconnects the hand-setting and the winding train.The invention consists mainly in the improved means employed inoperating the sliding clutch above mentioned. 1

Hitherto, in the construction of stem'winding watches, the mechanismemployed in con- 11 ectin g and disconnecting the hand-setting andwinding trains has been expensive, intricate, uncertain in itsoperation, and difficult to repair. Further, through the openings in thependant and elsewhere, occupied by such mechanism, dirt is apt to enterand cause difliculty; also. in stemwinding watches of the class referredto the movement of the stem in the operation of winding is apt to affectthe position of thehands of the watch. To obviate these objections ismainly the purpose of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the watch-case, which may beof ordinary construction. 18 represents the stem, likewise of anypreferable form, and fitted to an arbor extending through the pendant Ginto the inte rior of the watch. D represents the arbor, made square, asis customary. It is provided near its inner end with the usual clutch E,which is arranged to slide in and out on the arbor, and engage eitherwith the hand-settin g or the winding mechanism. F represents aspring-lever, fastened at one end to the case or plate, its other endengaging in the groove in the clutch F. The lever F is provided with aprojection, f, extending toward the rim of the watch, and arrangedopposite the lock spring G of the case of the watch. When thelock-spring is not pressed inward into the watch. its inner edge is aslight distance from the point of the projection f. The lock-spring isof the usual construction. It is arranged opposite one side of the bowH, so that when the latter is turned down toward the watch-case it willcome over and against the lock-spring. The bow H is of ordinaryconstruction and arrangement, and is provided with a boss, I I, oneither side thereof. The boss is arranged so that when the bow is turneddown it will come opposite and against the lock-sprin In the operationof winding the watch, owing to the constant outward pressure of thespringlever F upon the clutch E, the stem (unless the lever F is pushedinward, as hereinafter described) is always in gear with the windingtrain, and, by turning the stem, the watch is wound up.

To set the hands of the watch, the case is first opened, which, ifdesired, can be done by pressing in the stem in the ordinary way. Theconstruction is such, however, that no pressure on the stem will causethe lockspring G to come against the projection on the lever F. The casebeing opened, by pressing the lock spring inward it can be broughtagainst the projection f on the lever I and, in turn, cause the latterto throw the clutch E out of gear with the winding=train, and into gearwith the hand-setting train. The lock-spring, in this last-mentionedoperation, can be moved by pressure, in any suitable way, being applied.To enable this, however, to be done readily, and in such a way as toenable the operator to have perfect control over the operation, the

procedure is as follows: Resting the watch in either hand, hold, bymeans of the thumb, the bow 11 down against the lock-spring G. Ow-

ng to its position, and to the leverage atibnled by the bow, the clutchcan be securely held in connection with the hand-setting train, andthen, by turning the stem with the other hand, the watch-hands arereadily set. The pressure on the bow bcin g relieved, the clutch E isimmediately disengaged from the hand-setting t *ain. The stop J preventsthe lever from going too far.

The advantages of the construction and operation above set forth are,mainly, first, the number of pieces required to eilect the operations isless than that employed in any of the present approved constructions;second, the present construction is simple, economical, and so exposedthat it can be readily reached for repair; third, the operation ofhandsetting can be pertorined only when the case is opened and thelock-spring pushed in by some agency acting directly upon it, thuspreventing any movement saving when it is intended; i'ourth, there beingno opening in the case saving that occupied by the lock-spring, and thecase being closed most of the time, but little, it any, dirt can enter;fit'th, the use of the stop J prevents the cluteh from being pushed toonear the hand-settin g gear.

It is obvious that the lock-spring and springlever can be arranged 011either side of the watch, and be connected with the hand-setting trainin either position. I therefore do not wish to be limited to thearrangement on the face side only, as shown. Nor do I wish to beconfined to the special arrangement of the projection f of thespring-lever and lock-spring be actuated by the turning down upon it ol'the pendent bow, provided the case is open; and I am also aware thatsuch gear has been operated by a slide projecting through the bezel andinto the case, but not through it, and so arranged as to be actuated bythe turnin g down of abow provided with a collar when the case is open,and therefore I do not claim such broadly; but

\Vhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The clutch E, spring-lever F, provided with the projection j", thelock-spring (l, and the bow ll, provided with the boss I and pendant U,all arranged and operating substantially as described.

2. The clutch E, springlevcr F, ]')IO\l(l01l with the projection and thelock-spring (l, combined, arranged, and operating substantially as setforth.

lll-iltllY it. L. JOKES.

\Yitnesses:

Units. 1). Voonv, Fannie LEAR.

